The Lost Earth Adventures Blog

Book Your Trip With Total Flexibility During Covid-19

Covid-19: An update from Lost Earth Adventures HQ – 18th August 2021

We’re Taking Bookings!

Yabba dabba doo! We are fully open!

What Safety Measures Have we Put in Place?

We have followed all government advice and have been certified by the government as COVID-19 Secure, so you can be sure that the event you will receive is properly managed and you’ll feel safe. We are cleaning more than ever and using enough staff to ensure that events are just as much fun as they were pre-Covid.

If your organisation needs full details of the safety measures that are in place, we are happy to send these to you.

Is My Money Safe?

Your money is safe as per our Covid Cancellation Policy below.

What Are the Chances of My Booking Taking Place?

Pretty good from now on, but you’ll receive a refund if we are not allowed to operate or you can change the date to anytime in the future.

Did We Run Trips Throughout 2020?

From January to mid-March and mid-June right through to November, we were fully operational in 2020.

We’re Good to Go!
A lot of work has gone on behind the scenes to provide you with the best possible outdoor adventures. Whether on the hill, at the crag, down a cave or in the river, we’ve ensured we meet the industry recognised standard for being Corona Virus safe and we are certified by the government’s Health and Safety Executive as being COVID-19 Secure. Let’s go!

Can I book an outdoor experience with Lost Earth Adventures?

Yes, absolutely! Rock climbing, stand-up paddle boarding, mountain biking, canyoning, caving, gorge scrambling, hiking and canoeing are all back on the table.

Covid Cancellation Policy

If you book, and then we have to cancel your event due to either the British, Scottish or Welsh government not allowing us to operate due to Covid-19, (the government deemed applicable is dependent on the location of your event) we will provide a 100% refund or you can choose to postpone your event free of charge.

Visit our Terms and Conditions page for full details.

Gift Vouchers

For anyone that purchases a gift voucher with us from the 14th July 2020 onwards, your voucher will be valid for 2-years. Gift vouchers can be purchased on our gift vouchers page or by ringing our office on 01904 500094.

Thank You

From all of us at Lost Earth Adventures HQ, we absolutely cannot wait to welcome you back to the mountains, rivers and valleys!

Sincerely,

Sarah & Richard Goodey
Founders, Lost Earth Adventures

If you have any questions regarding an upcoming trip or activity with us, please contact us on 01904 500 094 or email us at info@lostearthadventures.co.uk.

Descending into darkness, caving in Yorkshire

It’s only natural for us to have very rigid ideas about something we’re afraid of. These ideas are seldom generated from real-life experience, instead formed by horror stories and word of mouth. As with anything, if you dare take the plunge, the reality is much more rewarding.

We sat down with relative Lost Earth Adventures newbie, Glenn, who took us through his recent caving experience. We discuss caving for beginners, Goyden Pot, and the descent into darkness.

Caving for beginners: A first-hand account

How did you find your first caving experience?
It was a definite eye-opener. You have this idea in your head that caving will be all about squeezing through tight crevices and feeling claustrophobic and trapped, but it’s not the case.

Let’s rewind. How did you enter the cave?

Our group headed down a field towards a clear stream. You see the cave opening for the first time. It looks quite small and it’s a daunting prospect, knowing you’ll be going in, but the excitement to explore surpasses all other emotions at this point.

The water is crystal clear, too. We clamber over huge boulders as darkness shrouds us. The first thing I notice is how clean everything looks.

I had visions of overgrown moss everywhere and slippery rocks and watery mud baths. But down here, no moss grows. Craig, our guide, eagerly explains the cave’s geological past with such enthusiasm, but it never feels forced or uninteresting. There’s a great balance to it all.

Did caving feel dangerous to you?
Surprisingly, no. Our group were all kitted out properly and we all felt comfortable following Craig. You could see Craig mentally scouting ahead to check for possible obstructions. I think it’s called a dynamic risk assessment, so we always felt safe even as caving beginners.

After a moment or two, our group were all working together to help each other down higher descents, showing each other where to place our feet. I think the exhilaration of exploring something so secret is what motivated us all the most.

How do you mean, secret?

When you descend into a cave, there’s this overwhelming feeling of exploring something most people never have or will. It’s like an alien planet down there. Maybe it’s the enclosed feeling or the darkness.

It feels like the last true wilderness. You don’t have your phone or any other distractions. It’s you and your friends, working together in this place. It felt quite liberating.

You went caving after some bad weather, right?
That’s right. Craig told us that parts of the cave may be unpassable and we’d use another cave if so. At one point, he stopped the group at a crossroads with two possible paths. ‘Which way do you think we go from here?’ Craig asked us. We guessed which way, but we were all wrong. It wasn’t left or right but straight down! He was perched over a tight crevice in the ground with a tree branch wedged within. None of us could believe it!

Incredible! And did you go down it?
Because of weather the previous few days, we took a route that was safe from flooding. That’s what surprised me, I guess. How many possible routes you could take. Craig asked us beforehand if we were all comfortable with tight spaces, water and getting on our hands and knees. Where we went in the cave depended on what we were comfortable with, which is perfect.

Anyway, the passage we took narrowed and we had to crouch, climb down huge boulders before the passageway opened up to a gigantic chamber. For me, this was unbelievable and so unexpected.

A big chamber in the cave?

Yes! We heard water flowing and the echoes of our voices definitely made everything more atmospheric. We gathered around Craig on a boulder and listened intently as he explained how such a chamber was formed. You could barely see the roof of the cave, it was that big.

It was hard for me to get a shot of the chamber without it simply looking like blackness, but our group were genuinely staggered. You don’t expect to see that in a cave.

And you tried your hand at vertical caving?
Yes! The instructors set up the abseil, we harnessed up and took turns to shimmy across a high rock ledge, then we abseiled down into the chamber. Descending like that with only the light from a few head torches was simply sublime, it’s hard to put into words.

And again, I was so surprised by how accessible vertical caving was, even as beginners.

Would you go caving again?
Absolutely. Without question! If you haven’t tried caving before, you must. I’ve already got another caving trip planned in the months ahead.

Do you have any advice for beginner cavers?
For people like me who didn’t really know what it caving was like, I’d say: don’t be tricked into thinking it’s all about tight spaces, water and battling claustrophobia. Those extreme caves are there if you want them but it’s your day, so you tell the instructor what you want to experience and they’ll deliver. It’s magical!

Caving with Lost Earth Adventures

As Glenn mentioned, caving with Lost Earth Adventures is ultimately about you.

You decide whether you want to cave for half a day or a full day, or whether you want caving for beginners or an extreme caving experience.

You decide whether to add ropes, ladders and harnesses into the mix in vertical caving. The choice is yours.

How Much Does Caving Cost?

Our caving sessions start from £49 per person in our Open Group sessions. Private sessions and Vertical Caving depend on group sizes. All prices include equipment and excellent client to staff ratios.

Where to Go Caving

The UK is one to some truly epic caves. Our two primary locations are the Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales, arguably the best places to go caving in the UK. Our locations are suited for caving beginners to very experienced cavers. You can browse all caving locations on our website, see our caving and potholing courses, or contact us if you have more questions.

Fundraising and organising a charity abseil

Easily one of the fastest-growing fundraising events, a charity abseil is challenging, fun and very successful in raising money. Before we get into how to organise one for your charity, let’s look at what the event actually entails…

What is urban abseiling?

Most of us can relate to the fear of heights, even if you have a head for it. While rural abseiling is often preceded by rock climbing, urban abseiling brings the fear to the cities.

Participants start at the top of a chosen landmark – a building, a bridge, a viaduct, etc. – harness up, then conquer their fear by slowly rappelling down.

What makes it perfect as a charity event is the exposure you receive by being in a central location.

Think about it. Doing a charity abseil out in the sticks means friends and family will be less tempted to come and watch, while media and news crews may not make the effort.

In the city, friends can show their support, locals may stop to ogle what’s going on and it’s easy for media companies to cover your event. More exposure equals more donations to your cause. In fact, urban abseils often raise anywhere between £2,000 and £40,000+.

Is urban abseiling scary?

We won’t lie, looking down from the top of a high building is a daunting prospect. Harnessing up and taking that first step down fills you with dread, but you may be surprised by how quickly you get used to it.

If you or your participants feel especially fearful, our trained guides are great at helping you overcome it. After all, a charity challenge isn’t a challenge at all without some element of fear.

How do you organise a charity abseil?

Well, the first thing you’ll need to do is decide which building you want to abseil down. You need a building tall enough and central enough to make your fundraising abseil stand out. Lost Earth Adventures often run charity abseils at the K2 building in Hull, a popular location. We’ve run abseils across the UK though, at just about every major city, from skyscrapers to bridges and viaducts to churches and other religious buildings.

Once you decide where you wish to do the abseil, let us know and, if we haven’t already undertaken a safety inspection, we’ll do all this for you ready for the big day.

Advertising a charity event

While we sort the safety, equipment and logistics of your event, you need to get people to join your event and help raise funds. Easy enough if you’re a business doing a charity event – your employees can take part.

For charities, there are lots of avenues you can explore. Speak with local businesses and national ones with offices near you. Create an event on social media and spread the word as far as you can. You could do leaflet drops in your area or advertise in local newspapers and other printed material.

The nature of urban abseiling often means people from every walk of life are willing to get involved. We’ve had young children, parents, and grandparents take part. Teachers, lawyers, doctors, factory workers and even vicars have got involved. Again, with it being in the centre of a town or city, it’s very convenient for people to join your event.

What about media and news companies? Getting coverage this way helps broaden the exposure. Naturally, we’ll also help advertise your event in any way we can. You’ll want to create a buzz before the event but taking lots of photos and videos on the day is equally important.

You can then share this immediately after the event and charities often get last-minute donations in this way. You can see more of our top tips for fundraising here.

So, now you should be all clued up and raring to start planning your charity urban abseil. See our charity abseils in more detail or explore other popular charity challenges.